MARKETPLACE WINES?

The majority of the wines we list are sourced from the market. This includes direct from growers, exclusive distributors and agents and European Trade stockholders.
The typical lead time for consolidation, shipping and arrival into our cellars from confirmed order is approximately 6 to 8 weeks.

IMMEDIATE WINES?

These are immediately available wines are held in our temperature-controlled cellars at London City Bond. Please note, if your order contains 'immediate' and 'marketplace' wines, these will be delivered together.

The majority of the wines we list are sourced from the market. This includes direct from growers, exclusive distributors and agents and European Trade stockholders.

The typical lead time for consolidation, shippinng and arrival into our cellars from confirmed order is approximately 6 to 8 weeks.

Once we have received your wines, we will deliver to your chosen UK or International address or transfer to your chosen storage account.

WHAT ARE 'IMMEDIATE' WINES?

These are immediately available wines held in our temperature-controlled cellars at London City Bond.

All of the wines have been rigorously checked by our warehouse staff and condition reports, including photographs, are available on request.

Next day delivery is available to all London addresses and for other UK addresses delivery is typically within one week. International delivery is also available.

EN PRIMEUR WINES

The 'ORDER' status means that these wines are now available for you to buy. Collection of your wines is arranged once they have been bottled and released by the producers. Lead times for bottling can vary between 6-24 months, or sometimes even longer depending on the wine. On arrival your wines are landed into your own bonded storage account, or delivered to your instructions at current rates. We highly recommend storage in our fully insured, climate controlled and secure bonded facility, where your wines can mature quietly and undisturbed until they reach their drinking window, or from where they can be sold at the click of a mouse.

The '+ALERT ME' status signifies that these wines are likely to become available soon or that we have currently sold out and are actively seeking more via our extensive network. By clicking Alert Me, you will be informed via email as soon as it becomes available.

Please note that delivery to UK and EU addresses attract duty and VAT, which can only be invoiced at the time of delivery.

We actively track thousands of prices across Europe every day, immediately reacting to any price movement and enabling us to list thousands of wines at very competitive prices. Our prices 'float' with the market, and if the market for any wine moves, then our prices will reflect that.

EN PRIMEUR PRICES

En Primeur prices are quoted ‘in bond’, i.e. without duty or VAT, but do include transport to our world-class bonded storage facility at London City Bond in Tilbury.

Collection of your wines is arranged once they have been bottled and released by the producers. Lead times for bottling can vary between 6-24 months, or sometimes even longer depending on the wine.

On arrival your wines are landed into your own bonded storage account, or delivered to your instructions at current rates. We highly recommend storage in our fully insured, climate controlled and secure bonded facility, where your wines can mature quietly and undisturbed until they reach their drinking window, or from where they can be sold at the click of a mouse.

Please note that delivery to UK and EU addresses attract duty and VAT, which can only be invoiced at the time of delivery.

This wine has been flagged as less than 'perfect condition' (taking into consideration its age). The relevant indicators can include: lower content level, bin-soiled label, damaged cap etc. As a result, this is available at a discounted market price.

‘DP’ shown against a price indicates that UK Duty has already been paid.

For UK and EU customers it means that VAT must be charged as the wine is no longer ‘In Bond’. It does not affect non-EU export orders.

What Are ‘En Primeur’ Wines?

‘En primeur’ wines, or wine ‘futures’ are those that are bought before the wine has been bottled and are still in the barrel. They are bought in bond – i.e. excluding duty and VAT. For many wines, buying ‘en primeur’ allows you to buy at a better price than buying after the wine has been bottled and shipped. The wine typically arrives in the UK one to three years after the harvest, therefore up to two years after you have made your purchase.

Robert Parker94

Here is an example of why a second wine is well worth buying in a great vintage. Unfortunately, I do not have any of the 1990, and I couldn’t find any to purchase, but I bought plenty of the 1982, although I never dreamed it would be drinking so great at age 27. Much lighter around the edge than its bigger sibling, it exhibits an explosive nose of charcoal, black fruits, herbs, and soil undertones. Full-bodied and fleshy with no hard edges (which is exactly the way it performed over the last 10-15 years), it probably should be consumed over the next 4-5 years. However, given the fact that it has aged so beautifully for so long, it may last even longer. Release price: ($140.00/case) Wine Advocate.June, 2009

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Graphs indicate market price trends as calculated by FINE+RARE’s internal market making system and are for guidance only. E&OE.

Les Forts de Latour: The Importance

Château Latour is without question one of the world’s finest and most important wines. Robert Parker describes it as: “a First Growth operating on all cylinders, producing absolutely riveting wines of great richness and intensity, which are increasingly selling at the level of famous works of art.” A view echoed by Jeff Leve of The Wine Cellar Insider, who says “Château Latour is like no other Bordeaux wine. It is in a unique class of its own.”

Les Forts de Latour was the brainchild of Jean-Paul Gardère, a Medocian that Jancis Robinson credits with being the “saviour of Latour.” The aim was to produce a second growth quality wine. The Oxford Companion to Wine suggests that that it has actually gone a step further, saying that although “there is no absolute agreement about which properties qualify as super seconds”, Les Forts de Latour has “been nominated at one time or another.”

Produced in smaller quantities than the Grand Vin, many consider Les Forts de Latour to be Château Latour’s second wine. However, as Jancis Robinson says: “Les Forts de Latour is not the second wine of Ch Latour, but another wine entirely from very different, distinct and disparate parcels.” What makes it so important though, is that stylistically it is very similar to the Grand Vin, but at around one third of the price. As Robert Parker says: “The character of Forts de Latour […] is astonishingly similar to Latour itself, only lighter and quicker to mature. Les Forts de Latour is certainly the finest of the second labels.”

What cannot be contested is that scores awarded by the critics for this wine are far more akin to those of a Grand Vin than a second wine.

Les Forts de Latour: The Insight

In the estate’s own words: “Les Forts de Latour receives the same meticulous care as the Grand Vin, both in the vineyard and the winery.” This is important as Antonio Galloni praises their “total commitment to detail.” The only difference is that Les Forts contains a higher proportion of Merlot (around 25-30%, with the rest being predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and a small splash of Petit Verdot) and is aged in only 50% new oak, rather than 100% for the Grand Vin.

The bulk of the grapes that go into Les Forts de Latour come from three plots on the west side of the road that runs between St Julien and Pauillac. These are called Comtesse de Lalande, Petit Batailly and St Anne, have an average age of around 40 years and have been owned by the estate for over 100 years. The name Les Forts de Latour actually comes from a plot within the famous l’Enclos vineyard, which went organic in 2015 and is used predominantly for the Grand Vin. However, Frédéric Engerer – President of Château Latour – alludes to grapes from l’Enclos occasionally being used in Les Forts de Latour.

Château Latour withdrew from the En Primeur/Futures system after 2011, instead choosing to release its wines when it deems that they are approaching their drinking window. Having said that, Latour’s wines are tasted – and almost inevitably highly rated – by the critics at En Primeur week each year, but there is now an extended period of anticipation before the eventual release. From the perspective of Les Forts de Latour, this wine sells at comparable prices to the second wines of other First Growths, but with the addition of years of careful cellaring at the château’s expense effectively included.

Les Forts de Latour: The Background

The powerful draw of Latour is wonderfully demonstrated by its history. The estate was bought in 1994 by a Paris businessman called François Pinault, for no other reason than that it was his favourite wine. As Robert Parker puts it “Pinault has pushed Latour to even greater heights.” In 2007 Frédéric Engerer and Hélène Génin renovated the cellars into a modern masterpiece fitting of their great wines. This team and their new set up have produced legendary wines in vintages like 2009 and 2010, and many more are expected.

Although we have focussed here on Les Forts de Latour, it is also worth considering Pauillac de Château Latour. Latour were the first Bordeaux estate to produce a third wine and Robert Parker describes it as follows: “There is not much made, but the Pauillac (their third wine) makes a mockery of most generic AOC offerings. For shrewd consumers looking for the taste of Latour at a fraction of the price, this is a wine to seek out.”

FINE+RARE offers UK home delivery through our logistics partner London City Bond, with next day deliveries available for Central London addresses.
We deliver Monday to Friday; charges are £ 16 + VAT for up to 10 cases (12x75cl or equivalent) for most UK postcodes.
For delivery charges to Highlands, Islands and outlying areas, please contact our
Customer Service Team.

INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY:

For deliveries into Hong Kong and Singapore, we offer a dedicated air and sea service.
For more details regarding delivery to Hong Kong, Singapore and all other destinations, please view our
International Delivery information page.
Spirits cannot travel on our services to Hong Kong, Singapore or Macau and require separate shipments. Please contact our
Customer Service Team for further information.

F+R STORAGE:

Our storage costs are highly competitive. We will happily accept cases or single bottles, charging pro-rata based on the number of bottles and length of storage period.
Unlike many other wine companies, our service includes storage of duty paid wines as well as in bond from any reputable source, not just those bought through FINE+RARE.
Please visit our F+R Storage information page for more details.

IN BOND AND DUTY PAID DELIVERY TO STORAGE ACCOUNTS:

FINE+RARE can arrange delivery of your wines to your personal fine wine storage account:
Deliveries within London City Bond or to a Vinotheque storage account are charged at £ 8 + VAT for up to 10 cases (12x75cl or equivalent).
Deliveries to all other storage providers are charged at £ 16 + VAT for up to 10 cases (12x75cl or equivalent).

Existing Customers

New Customers

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